ADDITIONS TO BREAD STUFFING
Toss any of the following alone or in combination into the stuffing mixture at the same time as the herbs and spices:
- Up to 1 cup walnuts, pecans, or Brazil nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
- 1 ½ cups cooked, canned, or frozen chestnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup dried fruit (such as raisins, cranberries, cherries, or diced prunes)
- 24 shucked or 1 pint raw oysters, drained, and liquid reserved (use the liquid to moisten the stuffing, if desired)
- 4 cups diced peeled green apples, such as Granny Smith
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
The following additions must be cooked before tossing with the bread and seasonings:
- 1 pound bulk pork sausage, Italian sausage, or fresh chorizo, browned in a skillet (replace up to half of the butter with the rendered fat to cook the onions and celery, if desired)
- 1 pound button or wild mushrooms, sliced and sautéed in butter along with the onions
- 1 red or green bell pepper, diced, sautéed along with the onions